Rosemary J. Nipper passed away Sunday, June 19, 2022. She was born in Johnson City, Illinois on August 22, 1924 to Laura (Zarowski) Siko and Thomas Siko. Her father was a coal miner as were all her uncles and grandfather.
When Rosemary was 4 years old, her father kidnapped her and her brother, Thomas, and took them to some of his friends in Indiana. He then abandoned them and they almost ended up in an orphanage. Fortunately, their mother was able to locate them. They moved in with their maternal grandparents in West Frankfort, Illinois. In order to support her family, Rosemary’s mother had to move to Chicago to find employment. She found work in a small restaurant.
Rosemary had a part-time job in a dime store while attending high school. After graduating, she went to work for Illinois Bell Telephone Company as a long distance operator. After various promotions as an instructor, customer service representative and then to business office supervisor of the public office in the headquarters office building in downtown Chicago. She retired after 30 years of service.
Rosemary’s best friend, Dorothy, also worked for Illinois Bell. She was secretary for Ernest Nipper. In honor of “Secretary’s Day”, she invited Rosemary to join her and her boss for a drink after work. Several years later, she and Ernest were married. They call Dorothy “Ms. Cupid”. Since their wedding on February 21, 1969, they celebrated wedding anniversary every month to express how important their marriage was.
Rosemary and Ernest truly loved traveling. Before retirement, they visited Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Greece, Canary Islands, Bermuda and Mexico. Since retirement, they have visited every state (Hawaii twice). They were blessed to find and buy their lake home with a magnificent view of Lake Hamilton. They called it “God’s Country South”.
When moving to Hot Springs, they quickly got involved in many organizations. They attended “Shepherds Center Adventures in Learning” from it’s inception in 1989, first as students and later as members of committees and Boards of Directors. Rosemary taught a senior exercise class at the YMCA for a while. She also joined the Carousel Readers’ Theater at it’s beginning and remained an active member for many years. She remained a member of Emblem Club until her death.
Near and dear to her was her Serendipity Book Club. She and Ernest were also members of the Nitecappers, of which she was also a past president.
Her church congregation at First Presbyterian was very dear to her. She served as volunteer scheduler for their retail shop.
Rosemary was preceded in death by her mother Laura (Zarowski) DeVitto; daughter Laura Harback ; son Roark Nagler; brother Thomas Siko & wife Frances; sister Pauline Steiner; grandson Jordan Nagler; father and mother-in-law Birl & Nellie Nipper; sister and brother-in-law Salene & Flave Carpenter; Louise & J.W. Cain; niece Diane Siko and several aunts & uncles.
Survivors are her loving soul mate, Ernest Nipper; son-in-law Herb Harback; daughter-in-law Patricia Nagler; grandsons David Harback & wife Willy; Matthew Harback, Ryan Nagler and Patrick Nagler; step-daughter Kathleen Plunkett & husband Arlan Andrews; step-grandchildren Sarah and Adam Andrews.
Rosemary’s parting words to her friends and family, “Please love and respect one another and blessings to all”.
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